Peter van der Velden

For the past 28 years, Peter van der Velden has participated as both an investor and operator in building companies from start-up through to expansion in the life sciences, information technology and consumer sectors. Peter is currently the Managing General Partner of Lumira Ventures; Canada’s largest dedicated life sciences venture capital investor. Having led the buyout of the firm from MDS Capital, Peter continues to manage the day to day operations of the firm while also being an active part of the investment team.

Lumira currently manages a number of institutional venture capital funds, two of which are actively investing in new opportunities. Over the past 4 years, Lumira has been Canada’s most active healthcare sector investor having completed 23 new investments, 13 of which have been in Canada. Lumira’s prior Fund enjoyed significant success, including two billion dollars plus exits (sale of Pharmasset to Gilead and the sale of Mako Surgical to Stryker) and the Fund’s sale of portfolio company Kai Pharmaceuticals to Amgen was recognized by the Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association as its 2013 VC Deal of the Year. Lumira was the first “high performing fund” in Canada to receive capital via the Canadian Government’s Venture Capital Action Plan

Peter holds degrees from the Schulich School of Business (MBA Finance and Policy) and Queen’s University (MSc Pathology), BSc (Honours Life Sciences). Peter is a very active volunteer in the communities in which he works and plays. He is a frequent lecturer at Canadian universities on themes related to venture capital, innovation and healthcare and he is on the board of a number of not-for-profits including the Canadian Venture and Private Equity Association where he is a director and the immediate past President. In 2014 Peter was appointed to the Government of Ontario’s, Ontario Health Innovation Council whose mission is to enhance the adoption of Ontario based innovation by the Ontario health care system and in 2014 Peter travelled to India on a state visit with his Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada to explore opportunities for collaboration and to speak on topics related to innovation and venture capital.

WIN’s Advisory Council acts as a visible body of leadership, influence and support for the ground-breaking work that WIN executes. These Canadian and international advisors, ambassadors and connectors further WIN’s goals while contributing business and health system expertise to scale innovation and drive impactful change in healthcare.